Final Fantasy XIV for Xbox unlikely due to cross-platform play on PC and PlayStation

"If we published to Xbox One right now, it would essentially be an Xbox only community," director Naoki Yoshida explained. "An MMO is built on its community, and if it's weak, then what is the point?"

At Sony's E3 press conference, Square Enix announced that its upcoming relaunched MMO Final Fantasy XIV would be console exclusive to PlayStation. An Xbox version is unlikely because it wouldn't be able to tie into the game's cross-platform servers, which allow PC players to play with PS3 and PS4 players.

"If we published to Xbox One right now, it would essentially be an Xbox only community," director Naoki Yoshida explained. "An MMO is built on its community, and if it's weak, then what is the point?"

Yoshida isn't saying an Xbox version is impossible, pointing out that he'd "like to keep that option open." He told Polygon that "we want this game on as many systems as possible and get the game into the hands of as many players as possible, so we won't say that we won't do it."

However, "in Japan, the Xbox is not as popular as it is in America, and maybe you only have a few thousand people who maybe really love Final Fantasy and are playing the Xbox version. But because it's a closed community, you only have this tiny community that is not allowed to play with the rest of the world, and you worry how you're going to retain that community."

The relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV begins this August on PS3 and PC. A PS4 version is expected to arrive next year.